Non-factive Understanding: Evidence from English, Cantonese, and Mandarin

Monica Ding (King's College London, University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong)

Nov 13, 16-18 UTC+0, Monica Ding (KCL), Non-factive Understanding: Evidence from English, Cantonese, and Mandarin

Abstract: This talk contributes to the current debate on the factivity of understanding by examining the use of ‘understand’ in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. While ‘S understands that p’ entails that p, four non-factive constructions of ‘understand’ have been found. Further observation suggests that these constructions can be used as tests categorising cognitive verbs into four types in terms of their factivity. Following this new categorisation, ‘understand’ is the type of cognitive verb that always takes two objects: one is the target to understand that must be factive, and the other is the manner in which the target is understood, which may not be factive.